Apple's Redesigned MacBook Pro Reportedly Arrives Next Week Without a Chip Upgrade

Apple is expected to introduce a fully redesigned MacBook Pro next week, but according to a report it will offer no gain in processing power. The company is said to be planning the unveiling for October 28 at an event it has called "Pro and tell."

Rumors describe a substantial overhaul of the laptop. The list includes a new industrial design, a body that is significantly lighter and slightly thinner, and an OLED display. The screen is also expected to support touch input, a notable change for the MacBook Pro line.

Further display changes are rumored as well. The new model is said to drop the notch at the top of the screen and use a Dynamic Island instead. A less certain possibility is a C2 cellular modem, which has been floated as a wildcard feature. If most or all of these details prove accurate, the machine would represent a major step forward for the product line.

The one area where no improvement is expected is performance. Citing reporting from Mark Gurman, 9to5Mac says the new MacBook Pro will use the same M5 Pro and M5 Max chips that first appeared nearly eight months ago. For a laptop aimed at users who prioritize speed, that means no performance increase over the models already on sale.

The reported reason is a change in Apple's chip plans. Apple is said to be skipping M6 Pro and M6 Max processors entirely and fast-tracking the M7 Pro and M7 Max for 2027. The redesigned laptop would therefore arrive in the gap between those generations.

Pricing is an open question. The MacBook Pro is already an expensive product, and 9to5Mac suggests the redesign could carry a premium, potentially pushing the starting price to around $2,999. That would mean paying more for a machine that is no faster than its predecessor. The outlet floated the idea that Apple might replace the current M5 Pro and M5 Max models at the same price, but called that probably wishful thinking given the current memory crisis.

The situation also raises a marketing challenge for Apple. The company will have to make the case for the new model to professional users who held off on buying an M5 Pro or M5 Max machine earlier this year. Whether the design changes alone are enough to win them over remains to be seen.

Apple has not confirmed any of the rumored details. The October 28 event should show how much of the reporting is correct and how the company positions a redesigned MacBook Pro that relies on existing silicon.